Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On the morning of July 18, President Lai Ching-te met with international and Taiwanese members of the organizing committee for the 2024 Junior Chamber International (JCI) World Congress. In remarks, President Lai said that Taiwan will host this year’s JCI World Congress, adding that young leaders from many nations will focus on such issues as entrepreneurship and innovation, green economy, and carbon emissions reduction under the event’s theme, “Technological Innovation for a Prosperous and Sustainable Future.” The president thanked JCI for supporting Taiwan and expressed his hope for Taiwan to harness the power for change through this event, as we work together to make the world a better place. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: In October, Taiwan will host the 2024 JCI World Congress. Over the past several years, I have enjoyed many interactions with partners from JCI, and I am delighted to be able to welcome you all to the Presidential Office today. I wish the congress great success and thank all of our JCI partners for their contributions. Over the years, JCI Taiwan has been actively involved in public affairs. Its Ten Outstanding Young Persons award encourages young people to contribute even more to society. It was an honor for me to serve as chairman of the panel of judges for the awards and to work with JCI in promoting this meaningful event.  As one of the world’s four major international service organizations, JCI continues to marshal the forces of its 350,000-strong global membership and community resources to promote global development. The 2024 JCI World Congress in October will bring together more than 6,000 people from 120 countries. The event will see young leaders from these nations focus on such issues as entrepreneurship and innovation, green economy, and carbon emissions reduction under its theme, “Technological Innovation for a Prosperous and Sustainable Future.” I understand that JCI President Kaveen Kumar Kumaravel’s vision for his fellow members is “Let’s make a difference!” We are delighted to welcome the president and thank him for helping facilitate Taiwan’s hosting of this year’s world congress, so that we can harness the power for change as we work together to make the world a better place. In closing, I want to extend my special thanks to JCI Chung-Li for winning the bid for Taiwan’s right to host the world congress. And I thank all of our guests once again for supporting Taiwan. I wish you a successful visit and the very best for the JCI World Congress. Also in attendance at the meeting was JCI Secretary General Kevin Hin.

On the morning of October 16, President Tsai Ing-wen delivered recorded remarks at an awards ceremony for outstanding young overseas compatriots. President Tsai praised the award winners for leading the way in people-to-people diplomacy, saying that they not only are very accomplished in their own professions, but they have also helped Taiwanese business organizations worldwide flourish. The president added that she looks forward to seeing even more outstanding young expatriates excelling in various fields, continuing to help Taiwan engage with the world, and making our country a truly global Taiwan. The following is a translation of President Tsai's remarks: First, I want to congratulate all the award winners for being selected as the ten outstanding young overseas compatriots. I also want to thank the Overseas Compatriot Culture and Education Foundation for organizing these awards over the past several years to commend overseas Taiwanese for their accomplishments while also sharing their experiences with even more people. Each awardee has expertise in different areas and is highly influential. Mr. Benjamin Chou (周浩恩) developed the first ever drive-thru voting system in Texas, USA. His innovation helped keep voters safe from COVID-19 while enabling citizens to exercise their right to vote. Chou is an outstanding example in both the political and public spheres. In the field of law, Ms. Wendy Chang (張文綺) in Paraguay, Mr. Danny Chen (陳啟耕) in California, USA, and Mr. Chih-Po Albert Huang (黃志博) in South Africa have long used their legal expertise to provide expatriates with consultations and services. They have all made enormous contributions to advancing the rights and interests of overseas Taiwanese. In the field of finance, Mr. Peter C.L. Lin (林敬倫) not only teaches in the Financial Mathematics program at Johns Hopkins University, he also founded a financial technology company that has facilitated innovation in Taiwanese industries. There are five award winners in the field of commerce. Ms. Ray Jan (冉瑞宜) has spent many years in California dedicated to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises run by people of Asian descent, while also making considerable contributions to the women's rights movement. Mr. Hao-Wei Chen (陳浩維) has excelled in information security, and founded a Taiwan affinity group at Amazon to promote Taiwanese culture. Mr. Richard Tseng (曾遠喆) organized the Indonesia Taiwan Chambers of Commerce Junior Chapter to promote exchanges with young Indonesian businesspeople, helping to implement our New Southbound Policy. In France, Ms. Huang Kai-lin (黃凱琳) has worked to actively build bridges between Taiwanese businesses and other countries in her role as president of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce Junior Chapter. And in Australia, Mr. Frank Chang (張戴麒) has served as chief officer of the Melbourne Taiwan Festival, which attracted tens of thousands of visitors, successfully enhancing Taiwan's image. We are working to engage with the world, with these award winners leading the way for our people-to-people diplomacy. They not only are very accomplished in their own professions, they have also helped Taiwanese business organizations worldwide flourish. I want to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication. I hope that in the future there will be even more outstanding young expatriates who can, like all of you, excel in their chosen fields while continuing to help Taiwan engage with the world and turn our country into a global Taiwan. I look forward to making more progress together. Thank you!

While transiting in New York on her Journey of Freedom, Democracy, and Sustainability, President Tsai Ing-wen went for a stroll with young Taiwan-Americans in New York City's Central Park on the morning of July 13 (evening Taipei time). New York is an important global center for business, finance, culture, and art, attracting many young Taiwanese-Americans who live, study, and work there. Their stroll gave the president an opportunity to really understand their work situations and lifestyles, and share what she has learned on her journey and her vision for the future of Taiwan. President Tsai took part in this event hoping to encourage young Taiwanese-Americans to develop their professional expertise, and establish more international connections for themselves and Taiwan, by participating in activities of all kinds.   During their stroll, the Taiwanese-American young people welcomed the president with enthusiasm, and their interactions were warm and friendly. President Tsai graciously took group photos, and signed T-shirts and photos to keep as souvenirs. The president, accompanied by American Institute in Taiwan Chairman James Moriarty, then headed for Pier 62 where they boarded a boat for some sight-seeing on the Hudson River, passing the various riverbank parks, One World Trade Center, Wall Street and the Financial District, Ellis Island, Governor's Island, and the Statue of Liberty—symbol of freedom and democracy. Among those attending the event were National Security Council Secretary-General David T. Lee (李大維), Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Representative to the United States Stanley Kao (高碩泰), Taoyuan City Mayor Cheng Wen-Tsan (鄭文燦), and Legislators Kuan, Bi-Ling (管碧玲), Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟), and Lo Chih-Cheng (羅致政). After wrapping up her New York City transit stop at noon, President Tsai departed for Taiwan's diplomatic ally, the Republic of Haiti.

During a meeting with 2018 "International Youth Ambassadors Exchange Program" and "Young Agricultural Ambassadors New Southbound Policy Exchange Program" participants on the morning of October 19, President Tsai Ing-wen said that the momentum to drive continuous innovation and forward progress in Taiwan will come from young people's completely new way of thinking. She urged the youth ambassadors to maintain their enthusiasm, and bring positive creativity and inspiration to the government's ongoing diplomatic work. President Tsai started her remarks by welcoming the youth ambassadors to the Presidential Office, and noted that her visitors included three different groups of participants in the "International Youth Ambassadors Exchange Program" organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One group had traveled to the Solomon Islands and Thailand, another to Palau and the Philippines, and the third to Tuvalu and India. Also on hand, she noted, were participants in the "Young Agricultural Ambassadors New Southbound Policy Exchange Program" co-organized by the Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who had been sent to Vietnam and Malaysia, many of whom were selected for recognition as members of Taiwan's outstanding "Hundred Young Farmers." President Tsai pointed out that since taking office she has made five state visits to Taiwan's diplomatic allies, and wanted to share two important things she learned from her participation in diplomatic work. The first was that we are often compared to our larger neighbors when talking about regional politics or history, but on a global scale, Taiwan is a country with a significant presence and considerable strengths. That means we should have confidence in ourselves. The second thing she learned is that Taiwan can contribute to the world. Our experience pursuing democracy and economic development successes set a good example for many other countries. President Tsai went on to say that in a more concrete sense, Taiwan is also a top global competitor in the fields of agriculture, education, healthcare, and technology. Whenever she has visited Taiwan's allies and interacted with our medical and technical missions stationed overseas, she has personally witnessed that kind of strength, which can definitely benefit the global community and make the world a better place. So as long as we are bold and go out into the world, the president said, the world will engage with us. The way Taiwan makes friends is by contributing its experience and technologies. President Tsai said that the assembled youth ambassadors were all doing important diplomatic work this past summer. This year, she said, we focused on in-depth exchanges to create connections for agricultural production and marketing and technology cooperation in countries targeted by Taiwan's New Southbound Policy. The results of those efforts have been quite good, and on behalf of the government, the president thanked everyone for their hard work. President Tsai said she was happy to learn that the Young Agricultural Ambassadors included a second-generation Taiwanese citizen of Vietnamese descent, and a Vietnamese man who married into a Taiwanese family, and one of the International Youth Ambassadors was a Taiwanese student who grew up in Thailand. People-centered exchanges are the foundation of Taiwan's efforts to enhance ties with neighboring Asian countries, and she thanked everyone for participating. In closing, President Tsai offered encouragement to the young people on hand, saying that their new ways of thinking are often the source of momentum driving the nation's continuous innovation and forward progress. She then expressed hope that, after expanding their horizons as youth ambassadors, the participants would maintain enthusiasm and bring positive creativity and new inspiration to the government's ongoing diplomatic efforts. Following her remarks, the president listened to the youth ambassadors as they described their overseas exchange experiences.

President Tsai Ing-wen met with the 2018 Mosaic Taiwan fellows on the morning of June 20. The president explained that although political factors make it difficult for Taiwan to participate in the international community, we will continue our active cooperation and dialogue with the international community, share our experiences, and contribute our knowledge and expertise to the world. She hopes that when the fellows return home, they'll share their impressions and perspectives about Taiwan with their friends and become "Taiwan Insiders" in the United States and Canada. President Tsai first welcomed the young people from the United States and Canada, all of whom came to Taiwan because of their passion for public and international affairs. She mentioned that this was their first visit to Taiwan, and that over the past week or so, they had participated in many different classes and cultural activities. The president said that she's sure they understand a bit more about Taiwan, and that she's equally sure that they liked what they saw. President Tsai told the fellows that although political factors make it difficult for Taiwan to participate in the international community, the international community cannot--and will not—miss out on what Taiwan has to offer. Our region, and the international community, are well aware of Taiwan's history of successful economic development and democratic transformation. We're now also implementing industrial upgrade and transformation policies, she said, and we're one of the few Asian countries taking concrete action to address transitional justice issues. As part of the international community, the president stated, Taiwan wants to share its developmental experience, and contribute our knowledge and expertise to the world. But for some time now, China has subjected Taiwan to political interference and suppression. Fortunately, the people of Taiwan have also received tremendous support from many like-minded countries. But as external suppression gets stronger, so does Taiwan's determination to engage with the world. And we will continue our active cooperation and dialogue with the international community. President Tsai then cited examples of Taiwan's frequent interaction and cooperation with the United States and Canada. In November of last year, she said, Taiwan became the 12th country in the world, and the third country in Asia, to become part of the US Global Entry Program. This April, we also reached reciprocal driver's license agreements with all ten Canadian provinces. These agreements, she said, will have a positive impact on government and people-to-people exchanges between Taiwan and the United States, and Taiwan and Canada.  In closing, the president expressed hope that based on their research and experiences here, the visitors will all be "Taiwan Insiders" in their home countries. So when they return home, she asked them to share their impressions and perspectives about Taiwan with their friends.

In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era.  The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.